Car Maintenance Checklist

You depend on your car and your car depends on you. It starts and runs every day thanks to your efforts to maintain it. What does it take? The first thing any mechanic would tell you is to keep the engine oil and other fluids clean and topped up and follow the maintenance schedule. Changing oil and fluids is always cheaper than repairs caused by a lack of or dirty oil/ fluid.

How do you know if your engine oil is low?

Many modern cars consume oil between oil changes and most don't have a warning light to warn you if the oil level is low. Even in many cars with an oil life monitor, you won't see a warning if the oil level drops. Driving low on oil can cause engine problems. This means, check the engine oil level with the dipstick regularly.

The oil level should be between the "Low" and "Full" marks. We recommend keeping it close to the "Full" mark. If the level is low, top it up; see how below. Some cars and trucks have a crossed section on the dipstick instead of the marks. It works the same way; your owner's manual will show the pictures how to read the dipstick in your car.

Check the oil condition: If it's way too black, it's time for an oil change. If it's dirty and low, have the oil change done or at least top the level up. If it's more or less clean but low, top it up. If the level is OK and the oil is not too dirty, good job! Keep following the maintenance schedule. Of course, in a diesel or turbocharged gasoline engine, even fairly fresh oil will look dark.

How to check the oil level on a dipstick: Warm up the engine. Park your vehicle on a level spot. Set the parking brake. Make sure the transmission is in Park. Turn off the engine. Wait for a minute or two to let engine oil flow into the oil pan. Find the engine oil dipstick, usually it has a bright handle saying "Engine Oil". Careful, the engine is hot. Check for precautions, read the instructions and find the location of the oil dipstick in the Maintenance section of the owner's manual for your vehicle. See: Where to download the owner's manual.

Pull the dipstick out and wipe it off with a clean towel. Insert it back until the dipstick is fully seated. Pull it out again and check the oil level.